The dean of Moscow State University's history faculty poses for a group photo with Chinese students in front of the faculty's anti-fascist memorial on October 19, 2026. Photo: Courtesy of interviewee

A Chinese student at Moscow State University who sparked public outrage after appearing in class draped in Japan's Rising Sun flag - a symbol closely associated with Japanese militarism - has been repatriated, while the university is expected to announce a decision to expel him following a collective petition by Chinese students, the Global Times learned from students at the university's history faculty.

According to students from the history faculty, the university held a special meeting on Monday afternoon following a collective petition submitted by Chinese students. During the meeting, university officials said they would soon announce a decision to expel the student surnamed Chen and make public the details of the incident and the university's position through its official website and social media platforms.

A Chinese student who attended the meeting told the Global Times that the dean of the history faculty stressed that Russia and China were comrades-in-arms during World War II, and that the historical consensus on opposing fascism must not be desecrated.

The student emphasized that the university's position on the historical consensus against fascism was fully aligned with that of China and the Chinese students at the faculty.

The Global Times learned that on October 16, as controversy surrounding Chen's display of the Rising Sun flag continued to escalate, two Chinese students from the history faculty - a first-year postgraduate student surnamed Zhang and a fourth-year undergraduate surnamed Su - jointly drafted a petition calling on the faculty to launch an investigation into Chen's conduct.

The petition, signed by multiple Chinese students at the faculty, was submitted to the university on the same day.

In response, the history faculty promptly arranged the special meeting for Monday afternoon. It also disclosed that relevant procedures had already been initiated on October 16 to repatriate Chen. The Global Times learned that Chen has since been repatriated.

A Chinese student who participated in submitting the petition told the Global Times that a monument commemorating the fight against fascism stands within the university's history faculty, bearing the names of former faculty members and students who sacrificed their lives during the anti-fascist war.

Chen had disregarded the fundamental principle of historical objectivity and openly expressed support for fascism, the student said, adding that his behavior and motives had shocked both students and faculty members at Moscow State University.